Steve Bulpett Offers Advice To The Celtics

[Way Of The Ray <wayray@ix.netcom.com>]

                  C's need advice, top to bottom
                  by Steve Bulpett
                  
                  Boston Herald
                  Sunday, March 28, 1999

                  I hold these truths to be Celtic evident:
                  
                  * That there are several problems here, but solutions for
                  each.

                  * That if these players think what they're going through
                  now - getting booed by their fans and yelled at by their
                  coach - is real pressure, then they truly have no clue.
                  Anyone who would wilt under this will need to wear a
                  protective undergarment should he venture into the deep
                  playoffs when the media of the world dissects each
                  movement and missed shots are magnified.

                  If the current alleged crisis serves to weed out those
                  unwilling or unable to handle the real NBA heat, then it
                  will have been worth it. Pressure is in itself a form of
                  natural selection at this level.

                  * That Rick Pitino does need to lighten up at times. His
                  sideline chatter is constant. He screams ``Rebound!'' when
                  every opponent's shot goes up, and it's of little use (if
                  they don't know by then to board, then it's too late,
                  Rick). Heck, the guy can even drive courtside writers
                  nuts, and he's not yelling at us. Sitting next to the
                  Celtic bench is roughly equivalent to having lunch on the
                  operative runway at Logan Airport.
                  In pragmatic terms, it is a basic audio-mathematical fact
                  that the more one speaks, the less is absorbed. In that
                  Pitino knows what he's talking about, he needs to be wiser
                  with his message and pick his spots better.
                  * That if Pitino doesn't change, a player who honestly
                  cares about winning will find a way to do his job anyway.
                  I'd hate to be the player who meets his Hoop Maker and
                  explains the lack of a championship ring by saying his
                  coach was too loud. An eternity playing pickup games with 
                  Ralph Sampson - while the overbearing Orlando Arena PA 
                  announcer calls the action - most assuredly awaits.

                 * That the Celtics are immature even for their age. Any
                  good parent would take away driving privileges for a week
                  for some of the poor decisions Pitino's players exhibit on
                  any given NBA night.
  
                 * That it is a sin for a team with this level of
                  athleticism to get as few easy baskets as it does. The
                  Celts should be sprinting to the offensive end on every
                  possession, regardless of whether there is a numerical
                  advantage for a break. Just getting the ball quickly to
                  the opposite baseline will open up secondary opportunities
                  for trailers. Against a moving defense, people like Paul
                  Pierce, Ron Mercer and Tony Battie should be counting on
                  lob jams in transition.

                  The Celtics are too willing to settle for a halfcourt set.
                  Once there, they are regularly hasty with their shots,
                  leading to lack of preparedness for the changeover and
                  out-of-position defense at the other end. The Boston
                  defense is bad enough without all the pressure its own
                  offense puts on it.

                 * That Pitino needs to empower Kenny Anderson to run the
                  offense. The Celtics cannot be looking over to the
                  sideline when they get the ball - the uncertainty is
                  crippling. The point guard needs to have command of the
                  game. Defense requires talk; offense requires instinct.
                  Pitino has to let that happen by cutting out the middle
                  man.

                 * That Vitaly Potapenko is the right move for this team
                  under the circumstances. Beyond even the fact that options
                  to acquire a quality center are slim, all the Celtics have
                  to ask themselves is this: Is Potapenko good enough to be
                  their Luc Longley if the people around him develop?

                  If Walker, Pierce and Mercer don't reach their potential,
                  then none of this matters anyway.